Robin Hood’s Bay Guide A local yokel‘s extensive visitors guide to just about everything. (2021) www.rhbwalks.co.uk Notes This free pdf should work as “interactive” on laptops but there is so much variety in mobile systems that it is mostly likely to lose that feature for the “Contents” page on your mobiles. “Links” appear to be working ok including on mobile. Let me know of any particular problems by email to [email protected] 2021 Update: Naturally, the coronavirus outbreak has brought many changes to us all and to Robin Hood’s Bay. Rather than change a mass of details, I’ve let the normal content remain but added a few basic notes here. No doubt some other aspects may not apply during the present restrictions. At the moment, The Dolphin pub has closed and The Laurel Inn is simply too small to open under the present regulations. The other 4 pubs are open and have their systems for social distancing, queing and other relevant aspects. Please bear with and work with the staff during these times. Everyone is working hard to keep the facilities open whilst keeping visitors as safe as can be managed. The various shops and cafes will also have their guidelines too. Again, please work with the staff who are doing a tremendous job. The Historical Archives and the Museum are also presently closed and the ‘Regular Local Events’ covered on Page 30 are suspended whilst the coronavirus restrictions are in place. Patience, courtesy, goodwill and a general bonhomie towards both staff and other visitors will make everyone’s visit run more smootly. ROCK FALLS: These have been increasing number of rock falls over the past few years and there have been a few, quite dramatic ones of late. For your own safety, when you are on the beach, avoid ‘setting up camp’ at the base of cliffs or digging into the cliffs in search of fossils. Quite recently, some people were digging into the cliff and advised by a local not to do so. They ignored the advice initially but after a couple of minutes or so moved away from the cliff. About 5 or so minutes later the very section of cliff where they had been digging experienced a sudden rock fall. A lucky and fortunate escape. It could easily have gone the other way. Robin Hood’s Bay Guide (2021) By Jackson Leggitt. A detailed guide to just about everything in and around Robin Hood’s Bay. Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved. www.rhbwalks.co.uk Contents Introduction ...........................................1 A Very Brief Introduction to Robin Hood’s Bay .........3 Safety .................................................4 Life Saving Devices ...................................5 Defibrillators ..........................................6 Lifebuoys .............................................8 Car Parks .............................................10 Public Toilets .........................................12 The Basics ...........................................13 Main Local Maps .....................................14 Post Office Services ..................................19 Bus Stops ............................................23 Pubs .................................................25 Rocks & Scars ....................................... 26 Useful Telephone Numbers ..........................27 Regular Local Events ................................30 Cinder Track Link Map ...............................31 Cleveland Way Link Map .............................32 Getting to Boggle Hole ...............................33 Local Places of Interest ..............................34 Petrol Stations ........................................45 Wider Area Maps .................................... 46 Publications ......................................... 48 Cash Points ..........................................53 Useful Links ..........................................54 End Words .......................................... 58 Introduction It all began with walkers regularly stopping outside my house, a little lost and looking for a particular stile. I looked at their ‘walking guide’, its maps & instructions… and pondered.… “What if… you could have a walking guide with photographs & guide notes of all the various key points along the way so you would always know that you were ‘on track’?” Of course, the walking guide would be improved with a guide to the village. And so, I disappeared down that rabbit hole too. This local guide to the villages and facilities of Robin Hood’s Bay, and its neighbour Fylingthorpe, eventually became detailed enough to become this book in its own right. The walking photo- guides, to be published soon, can be found online at www. rhbwalks.co.uk and also contain a basic guide to the village itself. I hope this book brings you a fulsome & very useful introduction to Robin Hood’s Bay and the immediate, surrounding area. You may find some bits of information repeated from another page in some form or other. I made a decision to let this happen as it does no harm and can also act as a reminder. My area of concern, when it came to the local maps, was that it is one of those wonderful, awkward shapes that does not lend itself easily to being all contained in one simple map. And so the village of Robin Hood’s Bay itself will be divided into: Upper Bay (the mainly Victorian part ending near the bank top) & Lower Bay (the mainly pre-Victorian part below the bank top). ‘Lower Bay’ also has 2 additional maps to give you clearer detail : ‘Upper Lower Bay’ and ‘Bottom Lower Bay’. I’m sure you’ll soon get used to it & see why I went in that direction. 1 The sea and the cliffs can be exhilarating and sometimes… a danger, especially if you have children to keep an eye on. At the start of the village guide section are a few pages on safety tips and the location of life-saving equipment – the 4 defibrillators and the 4 lifebuoys. Making yourself familiar with the tips and the equipment locations will help to ensure your stay in Bay is both thoroughly enjoyable and hopefully without ‘unwanted incidents’ caused by incoming tides, rip currents or rockfalls. Overall, as guide books go, though this one is quite detailed, I still see this guide as simply being an introductory gateway of connections to help you find your way around the area, become aware of what possible attractions await and to provide a means of accessing further information where wanted. Additional material can be found on the Facebook page under the title of “Robin Hood’s Bay Walks” where I will be building up further insights to the area with photos and videos. Details of intended updates, free downloads, forthcoming publications and other useful information, along with photos and videos of the area can also be found on: www.rhbwalks.co.uk I’ve made every effort to ensure the information is correct but if you spot any errors or discover something has changed, do please contact me at [email protected]. I’ll be able to work on it and update the pdf & eBooks accordingly. Additionally, if you feel there is a topic of information you judge would be useful to have in the guide… just drop me a line. Happy wandering… and may you become lost & beguiled in the magic. Robin Hood’s Bay are not responsible for the content of external websites. 2 A Very Brief Introduction to Robin Hood’s Bay If you have been to Robin Hood’s Bay before, it needs no introduction. For those of you who are ‘strangers to these parts’... there is a simple, heart-warming ‘something’ about the place which I feel is somewhat different in little ways for each person. Born & raised a little further up the coast & having now lived in Bay for over 17 years, that ‘something’, for me, is the blend of the landscape, its scenery, its people & the bay’s ‘semi-disconnect’ from the outside world. Together, they help to create a relaxing place of escape, nature and nurture. People have lived in this area on and off for thousands of years but the village is primarily known for its sea-faring and fishing history, particularly in the great ‘Smuggling’ period of the 1700s. The 1800s brought the steam railway to Bay, helping to open up the scenic area to the outside world. The village’s popularity as a holiday destination & weekend escape grew in the 2nd half of the 1900s & continues to this day. Robin Hood’s Bay & Fylingthorpe host 6 pubs along with cafes, tea shops, bistros, eateries, gift shops, a museum & more. A list of the various books about Robin Hood’s Bay and surrounding area can be found towards the end of this book. When it comes to walking the many lanes, footpaths & byways, you can easily find yourself on a majestic cliff top path, an ever- changing beach, moorland edge, in woodland valley, by stream and brook, on tracks once travelled by steam trains or getting lost in the ‘rabbit warren’ of the old village pathways. Enjoy your stay in Bay and I’m sure, as you explore the village and area, you too will find your own special ‘something’ about the place that earns it an affectionate little corner in your heart. 3 Safety Tides, Currents & Rock Falls: Each year people get caught out by the incoming tide and have to be rescued by the RNLI or the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Make sure you check the tide times (also a locally sold booklet). The tide moves quickly. At Boggle Hole and Stoupe Beck there is access to the Cleveland Way (cliff path). If trapped further on towards Ravenscar, call the Coastguard on ‘999’. Rip currents occur in the bay so keep an eye out, especially if using inflatables. The cliff path (Cleveland Way) runs close to the cliff edge & is subject to erosion, especially in this last year. Keep children aware of the dangers of getting too close to the edge and take care if setting up on the beach not to sit at the very base of the cliffs where rockfalls may occur. Tide Times Link: http://www.tideschart.com/United-Kingdom/Eng- land/Redcar-and-Cleveland/Robin-Hoods-Bay-Beach/ 4 Life Saving Devices Doctors, Defibrillators and Lifebuoys.